First published in Bangalore Mirror
One of the ‘perks’ of getting into 1MG Mall from the Indiranagar side is that you get to play/watch NASCAR in the last stretch. After the Trinity signal, you’ll swing wildly to the left, because you have to turn into Kensington Road, cutting through the blaring horns (with vehicles attached) that want to continue on Swamy Vivekananda’s path. Then you’ll swing sharply right to catch the mall entry, again zooming past irritated folks who just want to go straight. If you’re wondering what this has to do with a restaurant review, well, it sets the mood for Smaaash, whose eatery – Mighty Small – we will now focus on. Smaaash is a gaming and entertainment center, and locating Mighty Small within it reminded me of Crystal Maze! In line with everything around it, Mighty Small has a carnival theme, and one must admit that it holds an appeal and charm for kids of all ages, including those in their late thirties. The popcorn machine, the red and white colour palette, the desserts display, the circus-tents and balloons, all create a bright and cheerful ambiance. Add to that a DJ who set a peppy tempo to the proceedings with everything from Karz to Avicii, and we had all in readiness for the circus!
The circus tent shaped menu is home to a lot of things, we were spoilt for choice! Despite the summer heat, the Beer & Bacon Chowder was something we couldn’t pass up. Served in an outsized teacup, it had subtle flavours and generous bacon strips, though we missed the beer bit. Craving more action, we asked for the King Fu Potato. Though it was just potato with chilli, scallion and cashew, it had the spirit of a non veg dish. That isn’t meant to scare the vegetarians away, it’s just that the fiery sauce and the way it was cooked gave it that touch. The Koliwada Popcorn Chicken has a fine peppery finish to the chicken and is great if you don’t mind the curry leaves flavour. We were intrigued by the Kheema Gotala Fondue, and the finely minced lamb with chillies, peas and a fried egg topping, served with mini buns, didn’t disappoint.
There were five types of lemonades, and some interesting sounding ones at that. But then again, there were over a dozen different kinds of sangrias available! The latter won an easy victory and we tried three. We were sceptical about the Jalapeno & Olive, but it was easily the best of the lot. The flavours worked very well with the white wine and there was a refreshing zing to the drink. The Mixed Melon Sangria wasn’t bad either, but the big failure was the Orange & Ginger. It was supposed to be white wine, but someone clowned around and invited red wine to the party! That’d still have been fine if it was well made, but it was the kind of drink that had to be force-fed! The Coffee Iced Tea was superbly made, and the generous alcohol content definitely helped.
We started the main course with the BBQ chicken + Jalapeno + Cilantro pizza. Thin crust and wonderfully cheesy, we loved the texture and the flavours. And then it all fell apart. The Double Appam with Chicken Ghee Roast got both components fairly wrong. The Appams were insipid, and the curry was more Empire’s Dosa-Chicken Curry than the sinful Ghee Roast we were expecting. We then tried the Spicy Chopper Rice, which was a Chef’s Special. It was a salt bomb, and I held back a ‘sweat & tears’ comment, for fear of being asked to finish the dish.
It’d be a good idea to ask for the desserts menu before you begin the meal. There is enough temptation in there for you to skip the starters and main course. But it’d also be a good idea to ask what’s available. We didn’t get two of the four things we asked for. The Nutella + Banana + Peanut Butter + Pretzel shake had a dominant banana flavour, but still managed to impress. The Salted Caramel Brownie was superb too, though we’d have liked a bit more of salted caramel in it.
A couple of cocktails, a couple of non veg starters, a main course dish and a dessert would cost you around Rs.1800, inclusive of taxes. The ambiance is fantastic and creates a very lively experience. The service was pleasant and prompt. The menu packs in varied cuisines and styles and except for the main course, we quite liked the food. Set in the overall context of the entertainment and gaming centre, the place manages to put on a very good show.
Mighty Small, Smaaash Entertainment Pvt Ltd, 1 MG Mall, Trinity Circle, Ph: 080 25066900